5 Ways To Network At Your Current Job
Photo Credit: elementsofstyleblog.com
Congratulations, you've landed your very first job! As you probably know by now, this doesn’t mean the networking stops here. You can let out a sigh of relief knowing that you have a paycheck going into your bank account every two weeks, however, after taking some time to settle into your company culture, it’s important to hop back on the networking train full force. Starting early is the key to snagging that promotion when it comes along, so we’ve rounded up the best ways to start networking ASAP.
Volunteer For More Responsibility
As you remember when you were an intern, the way to get more responsibility outside of your direct job role means asking for it. It also means showing your bosses that you’re doing an awesome job and you’re looking to go above and beyond for more work. Whenever you have a moment of downtime, pitch stories to editors even when they may not even be in your direct beat. Or if you know the marketing department is working on a project that relates to your role, reach out and let them know you’ll do some research on your end that would help them with their work. Everyone has a million things to do in a work day, but people always really appreciate you spending 10 minutes to do something that makes their job easier.
Listen
More often than not, eavesdropping has gotten us into trouble. Well, purposely listening to someone else’s gossip is extremely different than listening to how your coworkers do their job. Whether you’re in a big corporate office with multiple floors or a small start up working in a studio sized office, you’ll want to do the best you can to keep your headphones unplugged. There’s so much you can take from observing how your coworkers answer the phones, the kind of language they use when dealing with clients, and how other coworkers respond to their professionalism. That’s not to say that every higher up is going to be a great role model for office conduct, so you should keep an ear out for someone you feel like is killing it in their role. Even though they may be in a completely different department, listening up to what they have to say will take you further.
Coffee Dates Are Key
This may seem like a no brainer when it comes to networking, however, chances are the most you know about someone’s role is what they appear to be doing at their desk. So if you want to learn more than what their LinkedIn page says, you'll want to schedule a time to grab a quick coffee and ask them non-work related questions. You never know what kind of advice they could share with you or they may even know someone at a company that they could connect you with.
Become Friendly With HR
Many people don't know this when they're just starting out at their first job, but, HR continues to play a huge role in your position at the company long after they hire you. Besides being in charge of recruiting people to work at the company, one of their main jobs is making sure everyone at the company is happy and helping the company grow. In order for a company to be successful its employees have to grow, so when you start to search for ways to inch yourself up to a larger title, you should express to HR how valuable you are to the company and the skills you are contributing so that when the times comes to ask for a promotion, their confident that you're ready for more responsibility.
Participate In Everything
Whether it’s team building breakfast or a company work out class, it’s important not to ignore those emails and sign up for an hour of bonding time with the company. Even though a Soul Cycle workout with the company doesn’t exactly sound like the biggest networking opportunity, it shows colleagues that you’re making an effort and willing to skip the after works drinks to get to know your colleges better.
RELATED: SO YOU JUST GRADUATED, NOW WHAT?
Follow us on Instagram @MakingManhattanOfficial